Multi-pin electrical connectors are widely used for connecting circuit traces on printed circuit boards with other printed circuit boards or with a complementary connector. For instance, the multi-pin connector may be a male plug having terminal pins mounted to or on the printed circuit board for conductively engaging circuit traces on the board, the pins of the male plug, in turn, being mateable with terminal contacts in a complementary female receptacle connectable with the male plug.
In some such arrangements, the terminal pins of the multi-pin connector have solder tails which are inserted through holes in the printed circuit board and soldered to surrounding circuit traces on the board for establishing electrical conductivity therewith. In other such arrangements, commonly termed surface mount technology, the solder pins are soldered to the circuit traces on the printed circuit board by surface engagement rather than extending through holes in the board.
One of the problems with multi-pin connectors of the character described, particularly those in which the solder tails of the pins are surface mounted to the board, is encountered when there is non-uniform spacing between the connector header or housing and the printed circuit board. In other words, the terminal pins are fabricated uniformly or identical to each other, with identical dimensions, including the length of the solder tails which project from the connector header or housing. Should the printed circuit board be warped, bent or have other irregularities resulting in non-uniform spacing between the connector header and the surface of the printed circuit board, some of the solder tails of the terminal pins end up being spaced from the circuit traces on the board, resulting in inferior solder connections or no connections at all. This is equally true if the circuit board, itself, is precisely planar, but the header or housing of the connector is not flat and has a bend therein or other irregular surface problems, again resulting in non-uniform spacing between the header and the board.
This invention is directed to solving these problems by providing a multi-pin electrical connector wherein the terminal pins are mounted on the header or housing of the connector in a manner to float (i.e., have limited movement in relation to the header or housing) to accommodate any non-uniform spacing between the header or housing and the printed circuit board.